"What are you doing with the phone?" I asked Zakia. She was frowning at the screen.

"One of the Hitachiins messaged us, but I'm not sure which."

"What do they want? They already took us out today."

"Asking us to a movie Friday."

"Did he say what film?"

"No, which makes me disinclined to go."

I peeked over her shoulder as the screen lit with a new message.

I wanted to take you to see the new horror movie. Thought it might be your kind of thing.

"Oh great, it's definitely Kaoru asking me," Zakia sighed.

"You like some of them."

"I like the ones that aren't really horror."

"Why don't you suggest something you would like?"

"I don't know if I would want to go even if it were a different movie."

"What's stopping you?"

"I just don't like him. Why is that so strange?"

"He's making an effort. Can't you give him a chance?"

"I don't have to like him. He can't make me like him. And you can't force me to be romantically interested in someone."

"I'm not trying to force you into anything. If you really don't like him, I'll stop encouraging you to hang out with him. If you're insisting you don't like him because you feel like I'm pressuring you to date, then you should give him a chance."

"Are you trying to pressure me to date someone?"

"Of course not! No pressure. I just...I think it would be cool if you did date. You know, give it a chance since we're surrounded by guys that are objectively handsome and don't know anything about your past...er, issues."

"Kyoya does know."

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry, I should have told you yesterday when I found out. He's read our school records."

"Surely that's illegal."

"Yeah, but it's not like we can prove he's done it."

"Okay, so it removes one from the pool of cute boys. But he creeps me out, so no huge loss. Kaoru doesn't know about that stuff. He's definitely worth giving a chance, especially since he's already so interested in you."

Zakia didn't answer me right away, and I left her to her thoughts as I continued reading my book.

I couldn't be sure how long it had been when I looked at my sister again. She was grinning like a fool at the phone now.

"Well, don't you look like you're in a better mood?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I am."

"What are you and Kaoru talking about?"

"Oh, uh, we're just telling each other the stupidest pickup lines we can find online."

"How did you progress from unsure if you want to watch a movie with him to trading bad pickup lines?"

"I'm not sure, actually. I think he said something that sounded cheesy, and when I teased him about it, it somehow ended up being a challenge to see who could come up with the cheesiest thing to say?"

"I presume you're winning?"

"I was until he hit me with one that was both cheesy and actually about cheese. My next one was tame by comparison."

"So why are you still smiling?"

"After conceding to his victory, he sent one more, less a pickup line and more an invitation."

"To what?"

"Drinks at a coffee shop in the square after club activities Tuesday."

"That seems...an odd time to meet anyone... Are you thinking of going?"

"There some reason I shouldn't? He's got a busy week, but wants to make some time for me."

"It doesn't sound like Kaoru, is all. Are you sure you have the right number?"

"Do either of us really know him to judge what he would or wouldn't do?"

"Let me see the number. Hikaru wrote it down for us in my English notebook. I can make sure it's right."

"I know it is. Remember, one of them asked about the movie before?"

"Oh, that's right...Are you sure that number asking about the movie was theirs, though?"

"Who else would it be? I'd have thought you'd be glad Kaoru and I were getting along."

"What if it was Kyoya Ootori like some kind of stalker?"

"It's not like our cellphone number is in our school records or anything. We didn't have the phone until we got here. He couldn't have gotten it like that. Besides, he seems like the kind of guy that would ask for our number up front rather than pulling some cheap trick to get it."

"But this is such a flip from what Kaoru has been like with you so far. Just look at this flawless grammar," I pointed out the texts as evidence.

"It's not like Kaoru is dumb. Why are you so sure it isn't him?"

"I'm just worried. This could be really dangerous for you. Just let me double check the phone number, okay?"

"Fine, fine! Whatever."

She sulkily dropped the phone on the bed between us before I grabbed hold of it. There were two separate conversations from today, one from the number asking about the movie, where just as she said, she had left the message unanswered. The other conversation was much longer. The number for both conversations didn't match. The one that matched what Hikaru wrote in my notebook was in fact the one asking about the movie, and Hikaru had been very clear in telling me that they only had one phone shared between them like Zakia and I.

I set the contact name for the original number to Hitachiin Twins, that way if any more separate conversations came in and Zakia thought they'd be the same person, she could know for sure with a glance.

As gently as I could I showed her, "Zakia, the numbers are different for these conversations. I set the contact for the one that matches the twins, and you're right, that had to be Kaoru messaging you. But the back and forth pick up lines you were smiling at and the coffee shop invitation weren't from their number. They share a phone, same as us."

"You don't think that's weird, given their lifestyles?"

"No more weird than you and I sharing a phone and making our mother send the extra back."

The giddy look in her eyes had died as we discussed the strange number. Now she looked furious. "I'm going on Tuesday," she declared, holding up a hand to subdue me from interrupting her, "not to have the date, but to get some answers."

"I'll go with you."

"No. You know I won't let you come if situations might be dangerous. There's no guarantee this is even anyone from the host club."

"But what if something happens to you?"

"Your safety comes first. You're coming straight home after school on Tuesday."

"Why not just ask all the hosts while we're at the club tomorrow? We did kind of skip out on the club over the weekend. I'm sure a couple of them, including the primary suspect, will have something to say about that."

"Weekend classes are optional, and the club activities with them. The fact remains that we don't know it was anyone from school, and if not, I don't want any of those guys butting into our business. I don't need their help dealing with whoever this creep is."

"Fine, have it your way. If you're not home an hour after me on Tuesday, I'm telling Mother and the club after I call the police."

"Deal. Now let's get some sleep. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten."

I carefully rubbed the burn cream into Zakia's back and neck. Her skin was much healthier looking, almost back to normal. Her scalp and hair were looking pretty good too, despite her unintended hot beverage shower from Thursday. She was still struggling to get comfortable in bed, unfortunately.

I fell asleep uneasily, more worried than Zakia would ever know.